Nitrate removal and nitrous oxide production of denitrifying woodchip bioreactors under subtropical and tropical climates

Bioreactors are a low-cost water treatment technology to mitigate nutrient runoff from agricultural areas. Bioreactors are woodchip-filled trenches installed in the soil, which convert nitrate to dinitrogen, a harmless gas in the atmosphere. Nitrate removal and greenhouse gas production of five on-farm bioreactors were monitored for the first time in Queensland, to reduce the nutrient runoff to the Great Barrier Reef. The bioreactors effectively removed nitrate, with negligible emissions of greenhouse gases. This research expanded the knowledge on bioreactors installed in Subtropical and Tropical climates and contributed to the development of guidelines for the application of bioreactors on Queensland farms